jmh123

Hey, claytonic, no problem. I should've been more clear. I absolutely see no problem with a baby "out of wedlock," in Clay's (IIT) case or Madden/Richie's.

UNICEF are not dummies about who they pick. IMO, it's not a thing that most people could do well. It was interesting listening to Madden talk about why he was picked--that was one of my favorite parts of the special. I loved that they picked someone who is a bit out of the mainstream, and young.

Is the following the beginning of the blowtorched puppy thing? (more Shack TwoP recap--WARNING--this is snark and if you are not used to TwoP style, you should probably skip)

When we return, Ryan stands in the audience in front of a wall of signs supporting Clay Aiken. So he could be anywhere in the audience. Incidentally, Clay is up next with his performance of "Everlasting Love." Clay marches out on the stage in a shiny black shirt with gold polka-dots and brown pants. And his version of "Everlasting Love" is the reunion song for a musical romantic comedy. It's the second-to-last song in the show, when the lovers realize that despite all the fights, and the miscommunications, and the various contrived conflicts they've had throughout the play, they belong together after all. And then they sing the reunion song. And then everybody comes out in the end for the finale. The singing's good, as usual. He doesn't have much stage presence, because he clearly can't dance or is afraid to dance, so he just stands there for most of the song. He has a very long held note at the end, which I hated the first time I listened to it, but now it sounds pretty good.

Judges. Randy says, "That's how you do it, dawg!" He thought Clay was brilliant. Paula says that no matter what the genre, Clay's voice is his voice, and she thought it was wonderful. Funny how she didn't feel that way about Kimberly's voice being her voice no matter what the genre. Poor Kimberly. If only she had a Y-chromosome. Paula would be lapping it up. Verdine says that he saw Clay backstage earlier in the day and didn't think he looked like he could sing the way he sings. Or something like that. Anyway, Verdine thinks Clay can sing. Simon jokes that this is going to end up being the last episode of American Idol because he's about to say something bad. He says that in the context of this genre, he thought Clay was terrible. See, he doesn't really want them to "make it their own," unless by doing so, they end up sounding like ninety percent of the bland pop acts out there. Everybody boos, of course. Clay heads over to Ryan, who points out that the judges are really polarized in their disagreement over Clay. The judges argue some more. It doesn't matter. At this point in the competition, Clay would have to blowtorch a litter of puppies on stage to land in the bottom three. Ryan gives the blah blah blah text-message-cakes.

He really didn't get it. Everlasting Love was the sex, dude.

Am I too much of a newbie to be talking like this? If so, just feel free to smack me down.

Well crap, I just wrote a long response to Scarlett's post and I lost it. I was basically agreeing with Cotton. I think we can know Clay, at least as much as we can know anyone. All we can know about someone is what they present to the world, and the man he has shown himself to be is a very decent, good man. He proves that with so many things, like going out to the bus lines to thank his fans and thanking us during his concerts, and by teasing us like we were part of the family. He also proves it when he goes out on stage to perform when he is sick or in pain, when others would be home in bed. He goes to countries others wouldn't, risking getting sick or hurt, to help those in horrible situations and he goes to schools and hospitals to cheer up kids, without taking camera crews along to publicize it. I remember Jerome being asked about Clay early on and he said something about 95%, I think, of what we see with Clay is who he really is, and that is one mighty fine man.

Just finished the Orlando audio of the DCAT/SRHP tour-- the wavs are already up at Scarlett's server, and the CH and CU ought to have both mp3s and wavs up soon under mime_fan. If anyone needs a sendspace, let me know. It really did turn out well, with almost no obnoxious people near me, unless you count drunken Regina. Hope you enjoy it!

While rummaging around my hard drive, I found old audio of an April 2005 concert that might be of interest to a few of you. I'm not going to say the artist's name out loud since he has been vocally against file sharing music, and I sure didn't get his permission to tape his show. I also have to apologize for not recording the first song, which he back-announced as "That new Lisa Marie Presley song, 'Dirty Laundry'. She thinks it's new. Bless her heart."

Some of you will not want to listen to track 13 under any circumstances, 'cause you hate it.

There's a track 0 which is two songs by the opening act-- unfortunately I have no idea who she is, even though she has a lovely voice. Anyway, I hope a few of you who've expressed the lurve for these classic rock songs in the past couple of days will enjoy a rockin' live concert.

Mystery Rock Concert, April 21, 2005

Thank you for all the fantastic audio!!! I like #13. Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone.

Waves at atinal just because!!

Holy crap, couchie!! BWAH! annabear. :lmaosmiley-1:

Television Without Pity: TwoP American Idol Forum

You can also find show recaps here: http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/...idol/recaps.php.

Crosby, Stills, and young??? (ba da bum -- rim shot)

What about FORT? Do they have archives?

So, couchie, is this someone you know from work?? My goodness what a shock it would be to go into labor without knowing you're pregnant!!

At Scarlett's request, Japanese ADTW:

You don't have to have the characters installed on your computer. If you have IE, just go to Tools -> Internet Options -> General. At the bottom of the General tab window you will see a button for Languages. Click that button, and then add the languages you want. I have added all the Chinese versions, just in case, though Chinese (PRC) and Chinese (Taiwan) will probably suffice.

I finally started to like John Mayer a bit. I was resistant because he was hyped so much, and because 'Daughters' sucked. I really like his Continuum album, so much I actually bought it on iTunes. I'd like to see him be able to make that inevitable transition from Big Deal to career artist, and I think if he does, his music will probably improve as a result, although his sales may not.

Does anyone know if there were any non-US ATDW or OMWH CD's?

I have a Japanese ATDW. Will try to remember to scan it soon.

Not only that, Madden got a woman pregnant and didn't marry her, and she's Nicole Richie, not exactly role model material from some points of view. Gee, what were they thinking? Perhaps that he has a history of activism, a good heart, and a connection to a dedicated group of fans; that he is interesting to a certain demographic, and has a desire to make a difference?

I don't feel it has mattered for quite a while now whether the parents are married or not, it only matters that they are good parents. I feel that Nicole Ritchie has very different priorities now that she is a mother. For similar reasons, it doesn't make any difference in my mind whether or not Clay's child's parents are married. I know too many dysfunctional people whose parents followed social traditions to the book.

Sometimes sarcasm is not my friend. The lines I bolded are my point. The previous lines were to intended to set up my point.

Regardless of Good Charlotte's sales record lately - they can still play in largish venues and the place is clogged with young'uns. I know this for a fact dear ones because I had a step granddaughter who hasn't missed an appearance anywhere within a 300 mile radius of where she lives in the past 6 years. They are considered "cool" by the younger set and I doubt seriously that the lack of marraige is making a bit of difference in how people view the Madden/Richie hookup. The baby is adorable and spread all over the magazines and the success story is how Nicole has cleaned up!!! And she's been forgiven. So - look for Madden to bring in money from a segment of the population that heretofore has not been interested. I would bet that was the purpose in appointing him an Ambassador. On that note, however, he doesn't strike me as one who will be reading up on the country and trying to understand their culture like someone else we know. But - I could be surprised. I'm surprised in here every day!

You will be surprised, I think. Madden would not have been chosen were that not his intention. He is a intelligent and compassionate young man. I've been a fan of Good Charlotte's humanitarianism for a long time, although their music hasn't captured my interest. I agree about the demographic, the cool factor--that was the point of my post (see above).

I think that Clay continues to be as capable of calling attention to UNICEF's work as Madden or any of the other ambassadors, regardless of the decline in his record sales.

Hey Chardonnay!! Welcome. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

CG - you make some very good points. There is no way Clay would be a UNICEF Ambassador without his celebrity!

I looked up Good Charlotte--their album sales have been declining (as these things naturally do). They have been in the business since 1996, released their first album in 2000. They peaked with their second, and have sold significantly less with each subsequent album. That's a pretty typical pattern actually. They have sold more albums than Clay has. Radio play? Just OK. Some of their singles haven't done as well as Clay's. Every one of his singles has made it at least to #30 in the charts. They've been on Top 40 more often than he. So it would appear that UNICEF has chosen a new ambassador whose career is "in decline" and who isn't hugely well known to begin with, beyond a certain segment of the population. Not only that, Madden got a woman pregnant and didn't marry her, and she's Nicole Richie, not exactly role model material from some points of view. Gee, what were they thinking? Perhaps that he has a history of activism, a good heart, and a connection to a dedicated group of fans; that he is interesting to a certain demographic, and has a desire to make a difference?

ARGH! IE shut down and I lost all my quotes. Maybe it's just as well. There were a bunch.

So after for lots of posts, the only thing I have to add is that people sometimes seem to forget that we don't know everything about Clay's life and his career. We don't know what he does when we're not watching. There's a whole helluva lot more about his life and career that we don't know than there are things that we do know. We don't know what his goals are, what his ambitions are, what his plans are. We don't sit in on the meetings with record company executives, or bigwigs like Mike Nichols, or with his management. We're not with him when he's chatting with his friends and acquaintances in the business, or when he's doing private performances or making preparations for his next career move. If you add that lack of knowledge about his real life to the fact that none of us are in the same line of work, haven't been the kind of success that he has been in the music or entertainment business, I don't see how anyone can seriously think they know better than he what he ought to be doing. When I say I trust Clay to make the right choices for himself, it is because he is in on those meetings, he does have all those friends and acquaintances, he does know his goals and aspirations--what he wants from his life and his career, and he has been successful and deeply engaged in his line of work for five years. What wouldn't he be the best person to make decisions? Why not assume that you just don't know all there is to know, and that if you did, his decisions and actions would make more sense? It's kind of like reading one page out of every 50 of a novel and then criticizing it because it didn't make sense to you.

Perspective extends to not being able to see the show. At least I have TV, a house, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

YAY!!! Cable's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's gone again.

It's back. Fingers crossed.

Crap, gone again.

We had a big storm and my cable was knocked out about 40 minutes ago. Still not back.

Y'all do know that in Hong Kong they speak mostly Cantonese, right? Or English.

It's mostly for when we take the train to Guangzhou. I was in Hong Kong almost every third summer as a child since the flight to Hong Kong from Manila was shorter (45 mins) than the flight to my grandparents' hometown (1hr 15 min). KAndre is learning Cantonese, I volunteered for the Mandarin part since I'm still dreaming of that Google Shanghai office.

(oh, did I just create a 'sandwich' situation? Pretty soon the people on the weight thread will be blaming me)

Ah ha--finally she tells me this. KAndre is a brave woman, but if she can speak Klingon, anything is possible. I had a Cantonese boyfriend for 5 years and listened to him chat with his friends every week, at the same time I was learning Mandarin, but I never could get a word of it. I think it is one of the most beautiful languages in the world--like singing. 8 tones!! True, I'm not the world's best linguist. I lived in Japan for two years and came away a specialist at speaking and understanding English with a Japanese accent.

Muski, before I left for Japan my mother started taking Prozac, after having a panic attack so bad we thought she was having a stroke. She made herself physically ill over the idea of my going so far away from home, and I was nearly 50 years old for Pete's sake.

Perma, I could give you English with a Japanese accent lessons if you like? Your pictures are gorgeous!!

I've been watching one tennis match all day long. WOW!!

I wanted to go to the David Foster Gala because it was going to be the first appearance after a long drought, our longest to date actually. The last I'd seen of him was his trademark salute at the end of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" in Clearwater.

Good reminder. That's 9 months people. I don't think the current "drought" compares at all--the man's just taking a vacation and making a trip for UNICEF, like he said he was going to.

Jaycee... I used to believe worrying was showing my love, but have since really come to believe that worrying is wasted energy. I now visualize him on a stage with screaming, clapping fans appreciating him everytime I start to worry. It sure switches my energy to the positive in a hurry.

That's a great idea! Back when I used to worry, I put a note on my refrigerator saying, "Worry is a misuse of the imagination." Your idea is a much better use of the imagination.

C, F, G, I, J, K, L, M, P – those are my favorite. <g>

You are worse than I am! LOL.

Justme: I'ts obvious that this album is under performing his past efforts - we've already discussed the many reasons why including a change in the industry. I don't even care to get into that at the moment but I haven't given up on it either but for me the success of it based on its artistic merit. It's a fabulous album and one that I feel certain will find an audience over time.

I agree completely. If it is an excellent album, which I think it is, he has succeeded.

And I think we'll take our Chinese discussion to e-mail before we get a little note or whatever the admins do here when we're waaaaayyyy off topic.

go get a sandwich? :lmaosmiley-1:

BWAH! So true.

Hey, if it's just going to be us 3000 or so people, maybe we should all just rent a bunch of buses and follow him around. I'm in.

I'm in too!!!

Y'all do know that in Hong Kong they speak mostly Cantonese, right? Or English.

Bottle that IS a beautiful shoe and one I could never wear in a million years. My toes are crying just thinking about it. I don't think I have even put on a regular high heeled show in about 15 years. I think it's the man's plot to keep us down myself

Gotcha beat--it's been 40 years for me. I have such pretty feet. If only the rest of me looked half so good.

BWAH! aikim.

ETA: Interesting ... this was on 60 Minutes in Oz a couple of weeks ago:

"

Here's a trivia question for you. What's the biggest selling album ever in America? No, it's not the Beatles, the Stones or Michael Jackson - give up? It's the Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-75; and it's still selling strongly

."

I love the Eagles. Used to sing along with them on many a road trip. About that best selling album, from the May 29 Rolling Stone:

"The Eagles thrashed around some in search of identity, so it wasn't all perfection all the time in their recorded work. But their first four albums (Eagles, Desperado, On the Border, One of These Nights) included two or three miracles tracks apiece that told precisely worded short stories with precisely harmonized hooks--it was as if the Everly Brothers had gone back to school for their Ph.D. When the Eagles took a bit longer recording their fifth album than quarterly profit reports demanded, Elektra/Asylum Records released Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 in February 1976 with all the miracle tracks. It sold 29 million copies in the US and more than 40 million worldwide.

Something else from that article. From Henley: "When you hear a song on the radio, the singer doesn't get a performance royalty unless the singer also wrote it or owns the publishing." So the only way Clay would make any money directly from radio would be if LAA were played. I wonder if the singer gets any royalties from those plays in stores like Home Depot or the grocery store.

See, jmh - you ain't shallow enough.

30 seconds - top four:

D, I, F & G - in that order. Would do him. Wouldn't even get out my caliper.

My 4 grew to 6 overnight. I'd have more of a problem if the blonde look pictures were different ones.

A, D, E, H, I, K, M

K is winning at the moment. I'm cool with that.

Wimbledon finals today. YAY. Rain delay. Boo. But they're removing the tarp. YAY.

Keepingfaith, I love the way he looked that weekend. And the Unchained Melody he did is among my top performances of that song.

CNN at 8 pm and 11 pm, couchie.

Here's a little fun in the form of a poll, from CH:

Lightening the mood a bit since the board is so slow. Here is a shallow poll - Which of Clay's "LOOKS" do you prefer?

It was easy to narrow it down to 4 of the 12. After that, really, really hard.

I don't think it's the baby thing either. It's just a convenient place to lay the blame. I see no difference in board traffic between now and 05, for instance. I have an "I survived the drought of 05 teeshirt," and that was 3 years ago!! And in 05 the crap was 12 feet deep!! The number of people who were on line for the first Spam cellcert, which was only board reports and phone conversations, was larger than the usual opening night concert online crowds. I had the numbers but my computer froze up and I lost them. To me, that's a better indication of interest than the number of fans online when there's nothing going on.

I do think the endless worry and stressing out, the conspiracy theories, the fake Clay followers, and all that stuff has caused some attrition on many of the larger fan boards. 'Whatever happened to all the fans?' is a way too frequent topic, which is so not interesting to the new fan, and in fact drives people away, new and old, IMO. New fans want to see pretty pictures and watch videos and learn about Clay. They don't want to hear how the good old days were so much better or how Clive is out to get Clay or what could've been. So I don't expect the old, big boards to be able to attract a whole lot of new fans to themselves, but that's an entirely different issue. When Clay launches his next new thing, he will continue to attract new fans, and hopefully they will create some new, shiny, happy places to celebrate their fandom.

Play, I'm with you on the invasion of privacy issues.

I've been wondering dum dum dum duuuuuuuummmmmm

Do you think that the people who wanted Clay to be a rock star have found one now after this season of idol? I am just wondering because of the way that things quieted down suddenly, it has been a little odd.

I dunno. I don't think there's that much carry-over. I liked Cook during AI, and I read his thread at TwoP. Most of the fans there seem to be people who have never followed someone from Idol before. At CH, there are only a few posting in his thread. I think there were more people from CH (the only board I really followed back then) interested in Constantine and Bo in season 4. At that time there were people starting boards and dozens of people joining them. The Bo board, which I joined, eventually died off, or close to it. Even last year it seems like there were more people talking about going to the tour and being all excited about it.

I just can't get that involved again for anyone--no one else can capture and hold my interest like Clay. I can't get through a whole current tour video. Too much screaming. Funny, for Clay, that's easily ignored. So I like Cook and wish him success, but I don't think he's stealing Clay's fans.

I think it's just that there's nothing going on, and the boards either start imploding or get quiet when there's nothing going on. JMO.

I can remember times in the past when the CH would have maybe 2 pages a day, for days and days and days at at time, during the long droughts.

I also was knocked over by TLS. Everlasting Love made me wonder is there wasn't something sexy about the guy, by Solitaire I was sure, but TLS totally did me in. I would still like to have a recorded (or great live audio) version of the complete TLS.

I am so impressed gbmifan! I can't even imagine doing that!

Happy birthday lizzybutts!!! We really are a crabby bunch, aren't we? (ICYDK, Cancer's zodiac symbol=crab)

:bday:

Thanks so much for the welcome! I would love to keep posting here - you all seem like awesome folks, and I look forward to getting to know you!

Happy belated birthday, Muskifest!

CouchTomato, I'm totally addicted to Design Star and The Next Food Network Star! Sounds like the best way to spend the holiday.

Also, I put new voting buttons up on the Video Tournament pages at LBFCA. (I promise I'm not here as a tournament-ho - I'm just so excited y'all are playing along and enjoy it!). Sorry about the glitch with the voting buttons. The new buttons are fancier and should work a lot better.

Thanks again for the welcome. I'm excited to join FCA!

*goes off to watch MOAM Capitol Fourth for the brazillionth time*

Welcome Danielle, please do keep posting! :F_05BL17blowkiss: As for challenge #7, Oh my oh my oh my--I almost abstained on this one. On the one hand, possibly the greatest hometown moment ever, and on the other, one of the greatest TV performances ever, IMO, and the first time he sang live with an orchestra. Oh boy. Both are fantastic vocal performances under challenging circumstances, and he looks beyond yummy in both. This is hard. I ended up voting against my own home town and going for the measure of the man instead.